13 June 2025
Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing aircraft with 242 people on board, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, bound for London Gatwick. Two flight attendants from Manipur, one Kuki/Chin and one Meitei, both in their 20s, were among those who perished.
The Kuki Students’ Organisation (New Delhi) and the Young Kuki Organization separately issued condolence messages regarding the unexpected passing of Flight Attendant Miss Lamnunthem Singson, who was of Kuki(Chin) ethnicity.
In a condolence statement, the Kuki Students’ Organisation (New Delhi) mourned Miss Lamnunthem Singson as a brave and promising young professional who supported her family after her father’s death. Her loss, they noted, deepens the grief of a community already burdened by discrimination, political repression, and ethnic violence. The organization extended heartfelt condolences to her family on behalf of the Kuki community, praying for strength, comfort, and eternal peace for all victims of the crash.
Flight Attendant Miss Lamnunthem Singson, originally from Imphal but displaced to Kangpokpi due to ethnic violence in Manipur, was among the victims of the Air India Flight AI171 crash. The Young Kuki Organisation mourned her loss, expressing deep sorrow and solidarity with grieving families.
Of the 242 onboard, only one 40 years old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived. Prime Minister Modi later visited him in hospital.
Mizoram News reported that a woman narrowly avoided the tragedy after missing the flight due to traffic. The flight carried Indian, British, Portuguese, and Canadian nationals.
Among the victims was an entire family, including a software engineer who had returned from London to relocate his wife, Dr.Komi Vyas who had resigned from her medical profession just two days prior for the move and their three children.
Before the crash, experienced Pilot Sammy Sabarwal issued a “Mayday” call, reporting engine failure and loss of power.
Air India confirmed 241 of the 242 individuals on Flight AI171 perished.